Elusive Fatality
by Kaellia
Summary: { SasuNaru Friendship } Blood may be thicker than water, but the bonds of friendship are stronger than those of revenge. { Complete }


. A u t h o r ' s . C o r n e r . 

_Yay, 'tis the new, improved, and finished fic! This fic was originally _The Fate of Friendship_, but I felt that maybe it was a little too corny, so I deleted it and replaced it with this one. Originally, I had wanted to make it longer, but it didn't make sense to be too long, so I turned it into one, very long one-shot._

_Anyhoo, this is a SasuNaru _friendship_ fic, so there isn't any yaoi whatsoever; however, there is some shounen ai implication that is barely visible unless you fully insist to hunt it down. If people are looking for yaoi, I suggest you wait until I finish my other fic, which is a SasuNaru fic with pretend GaaNaru. xD That one is going to r0x0rz your s0x0rz. But until then, you're going to have to wait. It's going to take a while because I'm going to write the entire story first, and _then_ post it up here on because I don't want to laze off and make everybody who reads it have to wait like six months just for the next chapter. xD The fic is already in process, and it's going to be rated R, so you know what to expect. ;D I'd probably update once a week or so._

_Well, I don't know about some people, but I tend to only skim through the long paragraphs whenever I'm reading fanfiction. Uh, hopefully you guys don't do that. But if you do, I fully suggest you don't because the whole point of this fanfiction is the long paragraphs because they are the sole existence of the whole angsty thing, and angst pretty much makes up this entire fic. xD_

_And now for dedications! This fic is dedicated to Seth because he hates yaoi, and just his luck, this fic isn't! xD Also partially Douglas, because he just adores my utterly boring writing with all the useless literary devices, but it's only partial because he detests Anime and Manga. D: -shakes fists at Douglas.- And of course, Tina, because she's my bestest-estest friend, and how can you not dedicate a friendship fic to your bestest-estest friend? :D_

W a r n i n g . _Manga Chapter 233 spoilers._

- - - 

-** P r o l o g u e **- 

_Those eyes. He could never forget those eyes. The hatred...the fear... These feelings were all so thoroughly mixed in those stares that shot mercilessly through him like a kunai dipped in poison. He could never understand what it was about him that made all the others approach him this way. He was no different from the other children. They would all play in the park together, swaying on the swings and simply having a grand time. Maybe he was a little louder, but it felt so hard to be alone. Being loud and obnoxious was the only way he could get anybody to notice him. The feeling of solitude was the worst feeling in the world, and it was always that one that seemed to find him. While all the other kids and their parents left the park at dusk, he was still standing there, with nowhere else to go, and no home or loved ones to return to. The pain of watching the other families, so happy together with so much laughter... He often questioned himself, _Why can't I be like that? Where are _my_ parents?_ Nobody was ever there for him. Nobody was ever there to comfort his broken spirits._

_That was when he first came to realize the raven-haired boy sitting at the lakeshore. He was staring out into the vast, open waters, all by himself. It didn't seem like he had anywhere else to go either. Naruto instantly recognized him as Uchiha Sasuke. There had been many stories going around the village about this boy – about how he was the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan, which underwent a mass annihilation just a few weeks before. What was even worse and shocked everybody was the fact that the predator of this massacre was somebody from the clan itself. While gazing at this boy, Naruto thought excitedly to himself, _Hey, we could be friends_. He couldn't see why not. After all, they were both left unwanted. And there wasn't anybody out there for them each other._

-** E l u s i v e F a t a l i t y **-   
_By Kaellia_

The battle had been long and painful. Never in his life was he required to endure through something that put such an intense ache inside him. The result of the clashing between the _Chidori_ and the _Rasengan_ had not been a good one, and the blond boy was lying on the ground, cold and completely motionless. He was knocked completely out of consciousness as no movement spread over him. 

As he stared down at this boy, memories of all the time they spent together surged through his mind. It was hard to believe that this person he was facing was the same one who had used to be so loud and annoying. Sasuke gazed blankly at him as the rays of sun that shone through the thick clouds upon them slowly started to thin and disappear, the last remaining beam resting gently on the unconscious boy's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful as he laid there with the content look placed on his face. It was difficult to consider that they had just engaged in such a fierce battle. The forehead protector that was tied at the back of his head yearned to be with the other as it began to loosen. When it did, it fell down beside the one with the flaxen hair. He stared at it for a while but did not bother to pick it up. 

So many thoughts were now flowing through his head, contradicting one another and confusing his mind. Their friendship...their past... Was it all over? "Naruto, I..." he started to say, but before he could finish, he felt a drop land on his head. Looking up, he realized that rain had begun to fall. The pitter-patter of the drizzle surrounded them, soon soaking the both of them through and through. The cascade of rain gently hit his face, mixing so well with the many tears that slowly started to form in his eyes and began falling down his cheeks so naturally, as if they had always been there. _But I promised myself that I'd never cry again_. 

Why? Why was he crying? It was just Naruto. He didn't matter. After all, he did kill him, didn't he? Why the hell should he cry and care about such an idiot? Although he attempted to oppose his heart by trying continuously to tell himself this, he knew it wasn't the issue. The real question was _why wasn't he also dead_? He was the one who deserved this fate; not Naruto. Suddenly, he felt a paroxysm of pain shooting up all through his left arm. Clutching his throbbing limb, a miserable feeling welled up inside him, and blood forced its way out of his mouth through a cough, landing just above the comatose boy's head. But even this pain was not as bad as the pain he felt inside. 

He couldn't stay behind. Not after all that had happened between them. He couldn't just simply wait for Naruto to awaken, make up, and be friends all over again by pretending that everything before was simply nothing. Even if Naruto did decide to forgive him, which he highly doubted, he felt that it was impossible for him to ever forgive himself. All because of wanting to surpass his brother in strength, he even resulted to killing his closest friend. All for the sake of avenging his clan that could never come back to life again, he had killed his closest friend. Being devoured by his guilty conscience, Sasuke bent down and gently kissed the surface of Naruto's forehead protector. And he willed himself away. 

As he trod through the forest, the pain his left arm simply would not cease. It continued to pierce him, the anguish so unbelievably agonizing that he wanted to end it by any means possible, even if it meant erasing everything else. As he continued to sander, there was only one thing that he could think about. The words of his past haunted him. From his father, _As I expected...you are my son..._ Did he really mean that? It was difficult to obtain the recognition that he wanted from his father, and for him to say something like that...well, it was simply too great an honor. It was exactly what his father had once said to Itachi. His mother had also said, _When your father talked to me, all he could talk about was you..._ It had brought tears of happiness to his eyes when he heard those words. But the worst, most unforgettable one of all was from his brother, _You and I are unique brothers. In order to overcome your barriers, you and I have to continue living together_. He could never forget those words. Those words that gave him a sense of false security but at the same time irked him and consumed him... _Even if it means hating each other, that's what being an elder brother means._

He had believed those words back then. What a vulnerable child he had been. Vulnerable, naïve, gullible...stupid. He hadn't realized anything wrong until that day when he went home and found his parents dead, along with the rest of the Uchiha clan, the blood trickling down from their wounds and covering their fresh corpses. They had been killed by his brother's hands. His strong, loving brother, who had promised that they would always be together. But now, he had something new to say: _You too, can awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan as me, but there is a requirement..._ All for the sake of gaining power, Itachi had slaughtered his own parents. _You must kill...your closest friend..._ This was a sign of true strength: to end the life of the person you loved most. 

That obligation repeated itself over and over again inside his mind, never coming to a cease, the constant echo hitting the walls and coming back to him. Kill your closest friend. _Kill your closest friend._ But what good would that do? Would it really give him the strength to challenge Itachi and come out as a victor? If this was so, why did Itachi spare his life, if he had the ability to kill him? Other than the fact to make his life a real living hell, there was no real, good reason. _No_, Sasuke said with a burst of thought that pushed Itachi's hateful words out of his mind. _I will not be your puppet! I will gain power in my own way! I will surpass you in my own way. I do it. In my own way..._ The words reverberated and ended. Coming to a conclusion, a smirk jerked at the corner of his lips as he ventured on towards the dark heart of the forest. He was getting a good feeling about this. After all, he was an avenger. And he will avenge his clan. 

- 

There he was left, a broken shell of a boy that was abandoned there, empty and completely hollow. Where had everything gone? Why had all emotions forsaken him and left him there to die? It felt as if he was just simply...existing, and nothing in the world mattered anymore. Not like they ever did in the first place, anyway. The ground beneath him was moist from the downpour, and his clothes were drenched cold in the callous rainfall. What had just happened? He could indistinctly remember a boy and an explosion. A big explosion of two formidable forces fusing into one that sucked out all of his chakra and left him completely exhausted. _But who was that boy?_ He wondered absentmindedly. Perhaps a friend? After all, he did have a vision of them holding hands...but somehow, it didn't strike him that friends would attack each other in such a manner as they had just done. But then, if they weren't friends, why that visualization? Perhaps they were comrades a long time ago, but something happened that forced their friendship to change. That was probably it. It was certainly what it felt like. 

"Sasuke..." he whispered, remembering the other's name. He turned his head from one side to the other, observing the atmosphere around him. "Uchiha Sasuke, where did you run off to?" there was nobody beside him, and it didn't look like there was anybody from miles around. There was no point; Sasuke was nowhere in view. He tried to move his body to go search for him, but his muscles were too fatigued, and his bones were too weak to support his weight at the moment. The rain poured down at him without an end in sight. If he was left lying here for the night, he was surely going to catch a cold, or something much worse, like hypothermia. Did anybody even know where he was? Did anybody even care that was going to die? 

_What a waste...dying here all alone in the rain, with nobody even aware of your death_, he thought bitterly with a pang of annoyance and disgust. _Oh, I bet if Sasuke was dying, people would be crowding all around him, even if it meant endangering their lives. Stupid Sasuke and his overrated popularity. Puh-shaw_. 

His mind was starting to come back to him. His memory was starting to recover. Yes, his name was Uzumaki Naruto, nicknamed "Dobe". That was what Sasuke always called him, after all. Dobe. _Dead Last_. How he simply despised it as soon as the word reached his ears. A small smile began to form, however, as he remembered that day at the Academy. Every girl was fighting for a chance to sit next to Sasuke, including Naruto's long-time crush, Sakura. In the end, the class resulted in a kiss...accidentally between the two boys, much to the shock of everybody and the wrath of Sakura. His smile grew larger, remembering the taste of Sasuke's lips... Very soft and pleasurable. It seemed like so long ago. He had grown so much since then, and so much has changed. None of them were the same people that they used to be when they were first assigned into Team 7. 

_Why the hell am I here?_ He asked himself. As it that question suddenly triggered something in his brain, everything began flowing quickly back into his mind. He was lying here on the ground because he was a mission. That's right, to rescue Sasuke and bring him back before he could seek out Orochimaru for the tainted power that he did not need or should have wanted in the first place. The other four members of his team, Chouji, Neji, Kiba, and Shikamaru, were all behind fighting the Sound's Four that had been accompanying Sasuke on his hunt, and guiding him towards their malicious leader. He could only hope that his friends were still alive. What were three Genins and One Chuunin, all twelve-and-thirteen-year-olds, compared to experienced, full-fledged shinobi? Even though Neji was the genius of the Hyuuga clan...even though Shikamaru was a Chuunin...their chances of survival were very slim. And at the moment, so was Naruto's. 

Wandering away from all the anxiety, he thought of the legend that Iruka-sensei once told him. It took place right here at the canyon where Naruto slept. _It was said that long ago, two men fought here. From the scar caused by the fight, this river was formed. If you observe the flow, it continues flowing, without ever stopping... To mark that battle, Konohagakure was built... The ones who shared the fate of these statues..._ The two men had been best friends. And now, so many years later, he and Sasuke fought. Perhaps they were like the others as well, but...was there still a bond of friendship between the two of them or had it already been severed? 

In the distance, he could hear somebody calling for his name. Feeling a rush of warm relief, he closed his eyes and waited for that person to find him. 

- 

_Brothers. That's what they were. That's what they had been...or so he believed back then. Itachi was everything to Sasuke. Not only was he family, but he was also an idol. Everyday, Sasuke would look up to him for inspiration, for whenever he witnessed the things that Itachi performed, he would feel enthused as well. Together, they were the closest of family members, and together, they would be inseparable...but nothing could last forever. This was no exception. And as time passed, their lives, much to his dismay, slowly began to change._

_It began that night when Sasuke was watching his brother training. His movements and his accuracy all seemed unbelievable and inhuman. It was only beyond Sasuke's wildest dreams to reach that goal as he watched Itachi in awe. He carried the kunai knives between his fingers and whipped them to the sides with such incredible speed that Sasuke's eyes could not even follow them. The kunai clashed into each other, bounced off, and hit all the eight targets set up around him...even though one of the targets had been blocked by a huge mound of earth. That was Itachi's amazing ability. Sasuke didn't understand it at all, but man, was his brother awesome._

_"Onii-san, you're so good!" Sasuke praised with admiration, gushing all over his brother. "You even nailed the mark in the blind spot right in the middle!" feeling stimulated by Itachi's brilliance, he just had to have a chance to show off to his brother as well. Grabbing two kunai, he got into a ready position, "All right. Here I go!"_

_But before the kunai had a chance to fly out of Sasuke's grip, his brother interrupted, "Sasuke, let's head back."_

_"You told me that you'd teach me some new shuriken moves!" Sasuke complained, misery overcoming him as he twisted his lips into a pout. It had always been like this. Day after day, Itachi made a promise to train him and teach him new moves, but day after day, he broken that promise all over again, always having some sort of excuse for it. "Onii-san, you liar."_

_"I have a crucial mission tomorrow, and I've got to prepare for it," Itachi explained, smiling down at his younger brother. Sasuke was almost about to break down into a wild, rampaging tantrum when Itachi waved his hand, signifying, _Come 

_Sasuke's spirits soared. He grinned widely and charged for his brother, thinking, _Now's my chance!_ If he could just prove to Itachi that he wasn't just a little boy...that he wasn't just his kid brother...maybe Itachi would change his mind and actually keep his promises once in a while. They were brothers, after all. The inseparable pair. This was the chance to show his elder brother that he wasn't weak, and he could endure all those long, painful training sessions that Itachi would put him through if they were ever to commence them. Just as Sasuke ran forth and reached the other Uchiha, however, Itachi put a finger up at Sasuke's forehead, stopping him right in his tracks._

_"Sorry, Sasuke," he apologized with a playful, innocent smile. "Maybe next time."_

_"Ow..." Sasuke whined as he rubbed his forehead. Itachi was so strong. Sasuke was coming at him at complete full force, and the most that he had to do to stop him was put just one finger in front. He had a long way to go if he ever wanted to catch up to his brother's standards. Having a sudden idea, Sasuke said, "Watch this, onii-san!" but before he could have a chance to perform whatever it was he was about to do, however, his leg got caught on the root of the tree, and he fell facedown onto the ground._

_As Itachi carried him back home on his back, Sasuke pledged, _From tomorrow on, I'm going to give it all I've got at the Academy. Then Father will acknowledge me, too._ Acknowledgement. That's all he ever wanted from his father. But always, his and everybody else's attention was directed to Itachi. Fierce, compelling Itachi, whose power surpassed all the others of the Uchiha clan. Itachi was the only one who everybody cared about, and living in his brother's shadows, Sasuke was often overlooked. It was his dream to reach Itachi's level, and hopefully one day - just one day - people would look up to him in the same awe also and say, _Wow. That's the great Uchiha Sasuke 

Sasuke snorted as he recalled this memory. Dreams. They were so foolish and pointless. He hated himself for being such a hopeful kid. The child he was back then was optimistic and positive, the two characteristics that described a certain blond kitsune that he was acquainted with. _Naruto._ Such a daft being with pathetic hopes and aspirations. He was ashamed of himself for being like that monkey. Now it wasn't about dreams. It was all about power. 

He blamed himself for the death of their clan. Itachi was acting strange, and he knew it. Yet he just merely chose to ignore it, hoping that his mind was merely playing tricks on him, perhaps he was just imagining it, and maybe it would soon go away. After all, this was his brother they were talking about. Nothing could be wrong with his there? He couldn't help thinking that day as Itachi walked away, _Onii-san...you're so far away._ And it was true. He didn't even know where his brother was anymore. He was so distant from the rest of them. Yet Sasuke didn't do anything. He had simply allowed himself to believe all the lies that his brother had been feeding him all these years, and now, it's only feeding the bitterness and anger he had stored inside of him. There was no way he was going to let Itachi stay alive. Not after what he had done to their family and happiness. 

Suddenly, more pain pounded against his arm. Sensing a strong wave of chakra, he could tell that the one he sought was not too far off, and putting his pathetic childhood memories aside, he walked on without giving his past another thought. 

- 

The loving warmth of the sun's rays shone down upon him as he slept, like the usual morning sunshine that radiated his window and crept amorously into his bedroom. It lit up the inside of his eyelids, making him see a bright, red aura while he still had his eyes closed shut. Somebody was calling for him, but he was too exhausted to lift his heavy eyelids. All he wanted to do was just take a nice, long forty-eight-hour nap... 

"Naruto!" screamed a voice in his ear. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, and he jumped back in shock at the gigantic, masked face that appeared before him. Almost instantly, he wished that he hadn't been so extreme with his reaction for he felt a sharp pain in his ribs that made him want to curl over and throw up. The one before him, however, gave no notice of this action and continued to stare at him with an extremely uninterested expression on his face. "Finally, you're awake. I've been calling you for a while. You're a really heavy sleeper, you know." 

"Kakashi-sensei!" gasped Naruto, loosening the grip on his sides once he realized who it was. "I'm so glad you're here!" he shrieked in sheer delight and clung off the Jounin's arm. "Man, am I exhausted. I'm just about ready to head home now. The first thing that I want when I get back is a nice, big bowl of miso soup ramen. Yeah, yeah, and then I'll go see Sakura-chan and show her what I lived up to my promise of bringing back Sasuke..." that was when suddenly, he remembered why exactly his bones ached so much, and why his clothes were soaking wet. "By the way, where's Sasuke, sensei? Did he head back already?" he waited for a solid answer, but Kakashi-sensei's uncomfortable look was enough of a reply for him to understand. "Sensei?" 

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I did not encounter Sasuke on my way here. It is most likely that he has continued his journey towards Orochimaru," there was a hint of regret in his tone of voice. It was clear that he did not want to break this news to Naruto. Not after all the blond boy had been through to try to convince his friend to stay. All that effort and for nothing. "Forget about Sasuke right now, Naruto, and let's start worrying about you. You have a lot of injur - " 

"What? You mean he left again? No. No, why did he leave?" Naruto screamed with his eyes widening in anger and hurt, throwing punches at his sensei's olive vest. "Is power really more important to him that his friends? Doesn't that guy have his priorities straight at all, or is this really what he feels inside?" 

"Achem," was all that Kakashi-sensei could muster out, while he tried to ignore the pounding pain of Naruto's fists that continued to sink into his chest. "Naruto, punching me is not going to help this situation," he wheezed, and the kitsune finally stopped his random fit of blows. "There are many things that you don't yet understand about Sasuke, Naruto. For example, what it means to be betrayed by the one who you thought that you could put your trust in the most. That person was Sasuke's brother. You know what happened to the Uchiha clan. Everybody was murdered, with the exception of Sasuke, who was chosen by his brother to be an avenger. All he wants is to surpass Itachi in strength to gain back what he erased so many years ago." 

"That's stupid," Naruto sniffed, "What's the point of living in the past? Everything is already done; he can't change anything. What, does he think that if he kills Itachi, his parents will just suddenly come back to life again? Why can't he just be happy with what he already has, damn it! He's got friends...who love him. Why does he just keep wanting more?" Naruto cried, burying his face in Kakashi-sensei's vest. "Why does he continuously want to be alone?" 

Kakashi sighed whilst drowning in the endless sea of unanswerable questions, petting Naruto gently on the top of his head. "I don't know...but maybe that's just what Sasuke believes. Maybe he believes that everything will be all right again if he killed Itachi. It is his motive and his cause, and it is in neither yours nor my position to question it, Naruto." 

Naruto let go of Kakashi-sensei's vest and sat down on the ground, trying to register all of the information. Sasuke left, did he? He didn't convince him to come back to Konoha, so therefore, the mission was a failure. What was worse was that he couldn't even _force_ him to return to the village. That just proved to him how weak he was. All the other members of their team were probably in critical condition after the fight with the Sound's Four, and Sasuke hadn't even paused to think about how his decision would affect everybody else around him. It was stupid, how he believed he could just power for free. Obviously, there had to be some kind of catch that he was too dense to realize... 

"Forget about Sasuke, Naruto," Kakashi-sensei repeated. "Your wounds need to be treated, and it's only going to get a lot worse if you continue to torture yourself like this." 

Naruto arose and clenched his fists tightly together, ignoring the incessant, searing pain. "No," he said strongly, his voice full of emotion and force. " I will not. I won't sit back and watch Sasuke throw his life away. Whether it's his choice or not, he should learn not to be so self-centered and think about the others. He won't gain anything just by acquiring strength! What will he do after that, Kakashi-sensei? After he succeeds in killing his brother? Will his existence simply be useless then?" 

"This isn't up to you to decide, Naruto!" Kakashi interrupted, stepping in front of the shaking Naruto and grabbing him by the shoulders. "If this is what Sasuke wants, then let it be. It is his life; allow him to decide what he wants to do with it...even if it means hurting the ones who care about him the most." 

"No!" he yelled, adding some kicking to his shrieks. "I...won't...let...him...do...this...!" he screamed, yelled, and flared his arms and legs around madly until Kakashi-sensei was forced to give him a quick, forceful shake that snapped Naruto right back to his senses and forced him to end his wild, mad spasm. "No..." he whispered desperately as he started to run out of steam and felt the tears welling up in his eyes. "I made a promise to Sakura-chan...I promised her that I'd bring him back in one piece. I promised her...with the 'Nice Guy Pose'!" 

Instantly, Kakashi received a mental image of Gai and Rock Lee, both with stupidly wide smiles stretching from ear from ear that showed all their sparkly, white teeth, while they were sticking their huge, red-swirled thumbs in his face. He shook his head at the thought. Just as he had expected. _The Nice Guy Pose_. 

"Kakashi-sensei. I'm not going. I am going to find Sasuke and bringing him back, or else I could never face Sakura-chan again. I promised her that Sasuke would be safe the next time she saw me, and I won't ever go back on my words," Naruto gathered his remaining courage and stated, "That is my ninja way!" 

It didn't seem like there was any other way to convince Naruto that it was now impossible to retrieve Sasuke under such circumstances. Kakashi sighed in frustration and said, "I didn't want to result to this, but you really leave me with no other choice," he gathered some amount of chakra into his hands and charged for the blond boy and hit him square in the chest with two fingers, instantaneously knocking him out cold as he slid down onto the ground, his body limp and immobile. "You can't save everybody, Naruto. Sasuke especially." 

- 

_"Look here, Naruto... It's a butterfly," Naruto turned to look and saw a small butterfly with multihued wings lined in black. It was simply the most beautiful insect he'd ever seen. It was resting on Sasuke's index finger, twitching its antennae at the surface of the his skin, its wings slowly waving but not taking any flight._

_Days like these were the kind of days that Naruto loved best. When the missions of the day were all completed, the two best friends liked to sneak off away from Sakura and Kakashi-sensei and just lie in a field of flowers and grass, where they could rest and gaze at the clouds up in the clear, blue sky as they freely floated past. Given, it was Shikamaru's favorite activity, but that didn't stop others from loving it as well. That day, nature was particularly on their side as the sun shone brightly and graced the two with its soft luster. The wind blew softly against their bodies, like a sweet, spring zephyr that breezed past with its warmth and tranquility. The birds that were roosting on the branches of the nearby trees chirped merrily and sung their beautiful songs. Not a single predator was in sight, and it seemed like they were the only two humans in the entire world. He wished that this would simply go on forever._

_Naruto giggled as the butterfly flew from Sasuke's hand and landed on his nose, tickling him with its miniscule antennae, while Sasuke sat at the side, watching him with amusement. "Heh heh, I think it likes me," he smiled, closing his eyes and resting his mind. After a long, tiring day of missions and Sakura's screams, this was exactly what he needed to relax. During times like these, it felt as if the bond of friendship between him and Sasuke were the strongest ever. They would never come apart. "Sasuke," he spoke up, eyes still closed. "Promise me that we'll always be friends."_

_He couldn't see him, but he could tell that Sasuke was smiling as well. "I promise."_

Suddenly, he awoke. It had only been a dream. Nothing but a simple figment of his imagination. Although he kept his eyes tightly shut, he was still conscious of the world around him, and he could near a distant, faint sound. _Thump, thump_. What was that noise? _Thump, thump_. The sound of soft footsteps, treading across the floor. _Thump, thump_. It crept ever so closer, becoming louder and louder with each step that they took. _Thump, thump_. Was it Sasuke? Did Sasuke finally decide to come back? _Thump, thump_. He felt his heart pounding with excitement as he fluttered his eyes open and - 

It wasn't Sasuke. Sasuke was not there. In fact, he wasn't even at the canyon where he was lying before. When he awoke, the bright, white walls of the hospital room filled his eyes as his squinted at the vivid glow of the morning sun. The window was open, and the curtains were drawn to either side, exposing the world and allowing the rain from the previous afternoon to drip from it, falling delicately onto the windowsill. There was a single daffodil placed in a turquoise vase sitting on the small table beside his bed, mostly from Sakura. Naruto smiled as he saw this. Sakura. She really cared. 

Just then, the hospital door slid slowly open, revealing the source of the footsteps that he had just heard previously. There at the doorway stood Hyuuga Hinata in the same beige, fur-lined coat that she always seemed to wear. She had a nervous smile on her face and that same blush around her cheeks that seemed like they stayed permanently there without ever being wiped. "Naruto-kun," she said in a soft whisper, her blush deepening. "Are you awake?" 

Instantly, Naruto sat up. His ribs were still hurting a bit, but the pain had much improved from before. He looked over at Hinata and noticed that she still stood at the doorway, and she seemed to be hiding something from behind her back. "Uh, um, Hinata-chan. You can come in." 

Hinata looked surprised for a moment, but then she nodded and stepped inside. To her, the room smelled like Naruto. The entire essence just completely screamed out the kitsune's name. She smiled and giggled slightly as she thought about this. But as if just realizing that she wasn't the only one in the world, she quickly caught herself and felt a flood of embarrassment. "Um, Naruto-kun..." she began, slowly starting to move her hands from behind her back. As she did this, Naruto noticed that her hands were quivering with nervousness. "I made something for you... It's a get-well card!" she said, thrusting the card out and lowering her head in discomfiture. 

The card featured a little Naruto/Kyuubi chibi covered in bandages and scratching his ears with his hind legs. Naruto's face broke into a wide smile. _Heh heh, cute_. And in big, capital, bold letters on the very top, it read, "_Please Get Well Soon!_" and in miniscule writing on the bottom right-hand corner, _Love Hinata_. It was clear that Hinata had put a lot of effort into this card just for him. It was unbelievable. "Hinata-chan..." he said, stunned at what she did. "This is absolutely awesome, Hinata-chan! I'd jump up and hug you right now if my ribs weren't hurting so much." 

"Your ribs are hurting you, Naruto-kun?" she asked in a shocked voice, and her eyes screamed in terror. "If it really hurts a lot, I can go get a doctor right now - " 

"No, it's okay, Hinata-chan. It's normal. It doesn't hurt that much, actually," Naruto laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly as Hinata released a sigh in relief. "So what brings you here, anyway? I'm sure you have much better things to do than visit a failure like me in a hospital." 

"No, that's not true, Naruto-kun - you're not a failure!" Hinata blurted out before she had a chance to stop herself. As soon as the sentence was out in the clear, she clasped her hands to her mouth, as if afraid that it would further betray her. "I - um...I just wanted to see if you were all right after...you know, that battle. I heard about what happened between you and Sasuke-kun. Naruto-kun...I'm sorry," she sank in lower in her jacket as her blush darkened. For a moment, there was silence when nobody spoke. It was awkward while Hinata, her hands shaking once again, looked at the ground, and Naruto just completely stared off into space. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he just accept the fact that Sasuke is gone and move on? Why can't he bring himself to feel any delight? After all, he was constantly insulting Sasuke, swearing at him and being engulfed within the rage that he held for him. The fact that Sasuke was no longer going to be there to make him look second-best should be an improvement...shouldn't it? But no. He loved him like the dearest friend. It wasn't easy to ignore that feeling. 

"N - Naruto-kun," Hinata spoke up softly, her voice barely audible and trembling violently. "I - It's not your fault. Please don't torture yourself like this," she looked up, and Naruto could see the shining tears swimming in her transparent eyes. "B - Because...I don't like to see you like this. I don't like to see you all hurt and depressed. Because I - I like Naruto-kun!" 

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. Hinata liked him? _Seriously_? Before he had a chance to reply to her confession, however, she continued speaking, as if afraid that he had a rejection planned. 

"K - Kakashi-san told me about what happened, Naruto-kun. About how you tried to go after Sasuke-kun, and you fought...yet he still did not listen... Oh, Naruto-kun!" she suddenly spoke up, louder than her usual tone, blushing furiously and clutching her heart, leaning slightly forward. "Kakashi-san wants to tell you this - you have to accept this and move on. There are some things that you just can't change." 

More silence ensued. The tension between the two of them was so high that he could hear the rustling of the leaves against the docile, spring breeze outside. He thought deeply for a moment and replied, "No...but that doesn't stop me from at least trying," with that, he suddenly rose from the bed, causing Hinata's pale eyes to widen in shock. "Shh..." he said, taking a firm hold of her wrist to calm her down, and putting a hand over her mouth to stop her from calling the nurse. "Look, Hinata, this is very important to me. I can't just simply 'accept this and move on' like you told me Kakashi-sensei said. I just can't let Sasuke do this, throwing his life away like this. You know about the Uchiha massacre five years ago. Just like how I can't let go of Sasuke, he can't let go his brother. He insists on killing him, no matter what the cost. But this cost that he's receiving now is his life. That bastard Orochimaru is going to just his kinjutsu of immortality to take over Sasuke's body. And when he acquires Sasuke's body, he's going to come and destroy Konoha. Being the future Hokage, I can't let that happen! And I can't let Sasuke die," upon hearing his reasons, Hinata's eyes softened a bit, and he continued, "Now, I'm going to escape from here. Are you going to help me?" 

And she agreed. That night, when the nurse came in to give Naruto his dinner and to check up on his condition, all she found was an empty bed. 

- 

He ran and ran and ran. He didn't know where he was going, but he had a slight feeling that Sasuke would be waiting for him. It was difficult to exit from the village, but with the help of Hinata and some reinforcements that she gathered, his escape was successful. Not long after he started his journey, however, he caught sight of a figure. And he didn't need any light to know what this was the one he was seeking. 

There he was. Sasuke. The sole heir of the Uchiha clan, who was going to walk straight into his own death. The night was dark, and the heavy clouds above were blocking out the radiance of the moon and the stars, so it was impossible to make out his face; however, Naruto had a pretty good idea of how Sasuke was feeling. How long had he been sitting there, leaning against the tree trunk? Was he having second thoughts about going to Orochimaru? As his feet moved across the grass, and he approached the sitting figure, the other's face tilted to the side to face him. Half of it was hidden among the shadows; the other half wore an expression of amused despair. 

"I was wondering when you'd catch up," he spoke with a quiet voice. "I felt that maybe what we had before didn't fit as a proper goodbye. But now that I see you're still alive, I guess I'll say it..." he sighed, and Naruto could sense his suffering. "Goodbye...Naruto." 

The only thing Naruto could do was stare at him in disbelief. That was it? _That_ was it? Did he seriously think that everything could be summed up in those two words? Did he think that thanks to those two, crummy words, he could just go away and forget about everything? Feeling a surge of anger beyond all imagine, Naruto charged for Sasuke and pinned him to the trunk of the tree with an amazing force. The rage inside of him was bubbling up, threatening to unleash its ferocity on the one before him. What was all this crap tumbling out of Sasuke's mouth? 

"Sasuke..." he wheezed, his voice breaking down as the tears hit him, "Sasuke...don't you care about us? Our friendship...don't you care about it _at all_?" there was silence. They both stared into each other's eyes, with no words passing between their lips - only their eyes; however, Sasuke's next action told him everything that he needed to know. Uncomfortably, the raven-haired boy looked away and sought shelter for his eyes on the small beetle crawling on the ground, determined not to stare into Naruto's big, baby blues. The words that escaped from his lips, however, were much, much worse. 

"I'm sorry, Naruto." 

_S - sorry_? What the hell did he mean by that? Was that all that he could say? Naruto couldn't take it. He couldn't stand there in front of that guy, holding him, even if it was completely out of rage. No, this guy was not the one who he used to know. Why was he acting this way? What had changed between them? He stepped back in shock, releasing the grip that he had on Sasuke's shoulders, looking at him with the most pained expression on his face. Those first two words were all he needed to answer all the questions swimming inside of him. And that was no, Sasuke did not care. It didn't matter what had happened between them before. It didn't matter all the things that they together have been through. All of it meant absolutely nothing to him. But Naruto was not about to show Sasuke that it bothered him so much. 

"Fine," he said, turning away. "If that's the way you want it. I don't care," his hands were clasped into tight fists, and his teeth were clenched firmly together as he said this. "Go get your power. Just don't come crawling back to me when what you find wasn't what you were seeking." 

"Would you just hear me out?" Sasuke yelled as he stepped up, facing Naruto's back and his face twisting into a look of aggravation. "Look, I understand if you're pissed off at me. I pretty much ditched you that time we fought and left you there to die. And I'm sorry about that. But this isn't what it's about..." he said, a tight knot developing inside his stomach. "It's not about us, okay? That's why none of your 'kind words of friendship' had any effect on me. I am not leaving because I envy your great increase in power. We've established that that was not the case. But you don't know what it's like, Naruto...to just suddenly come home one day and see your brother's hands stained with your own parents' blood. He _killed_ our parents. And if you think that I'm just going to sit back and let him live - " 

"The Kyuubi," Naruto interrupted abruptly in a soft whisper. Sasuke broke off his sentence and stared at the kitsune blankly. "I hold the Kyuubi. That demon which destroyed nearly the entire village and killed so many people, including the Fourth Hokage, is living in my body. He's apart of me, so that makes me responsible for his actions. But you don't see everybody coming madly out at me with pitchforks and torches. Sure, they may give me cold stares once in a while, but that's as far as they ever went," the tears were now streaming down his face, but he didn't care. "Sasuke, you have to stop living in the past. Your clan and your parents are not going to come back just because you kill your brother!" 

Sasuke knew this. He knew it all. He knew that the dead simply could not walk amongst the living once again, but some things were just harder to accept than others. He spent his entire life, fighting for strength and improvement so that one day, he would give his brother a reason to kill him. What had he gained? When he fought his brother again, he had received a broken wrist and injuries that could only be cured by the medical specialist, Tsunade-sama. It showed him that the gap between their levels had not decreased. Even after all these years, he still did not possess the strength great enough to inflict a single scratch on Itachi, even when using the _Chidori_. And that gave Itachi the satisfaction. He couldn't hurt him. Even as an avenger, somebody who had dedicated his entire life to one purpose, he couldn't hurt him. And thus, he did exactly what Itachi told him to do. Cling to life. Run like a coward. It wasn't just about avenging his clan anymore. It was to prove it to his brother that he was a true Uchiha. He was not just a dastard. Not anymore. His anger could not be suppressed until he held his brother's bloody, rotting corpse in his arms. 

Naruto was still standing there, not moving a muscle. Deciding that this conversation was over, Sasuke slowly started to turn away, until the other spoke up, "Hey," he heard a voice behind him and halted in his tracks. He turned his head slightly behind to acknowledge his voice. "I realize your pain. And I realize your desires," Naruto reached into his pocket, looking like he was gripping something. "But if this is what you really want...if this is what would truly satisfy you...then..." suddenly, he whipped his hand out of his pocket, revealing Sasuke's forehead protector and swiftly threw it to the Uchiha, who caught it effortlessly without needing to turn back. "Then at least do it with honor because you are a shinobi of Konohagakure. And don't you ever forget that." 

Sasuke stared down at the object in his hand. The slit through the metal plate where the Konoha symbol abided brought his mind to a certain somebody. Long and sleek, black hair. Wicked, scarlet optics with three helms rotating ever so mesmerizingly. The impassive, ashen face half-hidden behind the long, blood-stained, black cloak. The very details that described the infamous Uchiha Itachi. The details in his mind caused his grip upon the forehead protector to tighten. Without another word, he brought it to his forehead and tied it the felt at the back of his head. He looked back at Naruto and smiled, "Thanks, Naruto." 

And then he disappeared into the shadows. 

- 

A fortnight had passed since Sasuke's departure. No news had come back from him. He longed for a message - any sort of communication from his best friend - just to know what he was safe...just to know if he was all right. But with this long and distressing silence that he was receiving, for all he knew, Sasuke probably was already dead, and they would soon be under the pain of Orochimaru's torment. As he sat in the hospital bed, he couldn't help wondering and wondering again when Sasuke was going to come back..._if_ he was going to come back at all. Nobody else thought that he would. Even Kakashi-sensei had stopped talking about him, and if he hadn't known any better, he would say that the Uchiha clan had never existed at all. Everybody was trying to ignore the fact that the most respected and powerful clan of all of Konoha had now become extinct. 

It was raining outside. The heavens were crying once again. When would the depression ever stop? When would the pain in his heart simply cease and leave him to be? Too angry with himself, he dug his nails into his rough skin until it bled, and his fingertips were tainted with the crimson fluid. He noticed a pair of scissors coincidentally resting on his bedside table, and without pausing to reflect, he reached for the blades and brought it to his wrist. Before he could make the quick movement, however, he noticed something. There was something resting on the windowsill from his slightly open window, no doubt to seek shelter from the heavy deluge outside. Unconsciously, his hand loosened, and the scissors dropped from his hand. With its multihued wings lined in black, it flew up and rested on his nose. 

-** E p i l o g u e **-

_He only knew of one person who might have understood his pain, and that was Uchiha Sasuke. They had both lost their parents and their families, so Sasuke was sure to know about the hurtings of being alone. That...and being unloved. The kind of love that you could only receive from your family to heal the wound in your heart. At least Sasuke had actually known his parents for a while back. Unlike himself, who didn't even know what they looked like. But perhaps to only made it harder to accept the fact that they were no longer alive. You've become so adapted to being with them...so used to being taken in under their care... And then one day, they're just suddenly not there anymore. That was a pain that Naruto did not understand. As nobody had ever been there for him before._

_When the boy turned around to face him, their eyes met. A lot things were said during that intent look. Sasuke's mouth was twisted into that of a frown, and his eyes glared at Naruto with annoyance. Naruto didn't understand why he would look at him like that, but feeling some irritation inside his stomach as well, he turned his head around so that Sasuke could stare at the back of his head...but he knew better. This boy was very much like him. This boy...this lonely boy who lived a life of complete solitude. Who was abandoned from his clan and left to survvie in the cold, deadly world alone. Sounded like a certain somebody he knew. The pain inside of him was slowly starting to fade as he realized that he had somebody to share it with...and walking away, Naruto saw a grin appear on Sasuke's face. A similar smile stretched naturally across his own as he thought strongly, _Yeah...we _will_ be friends 

- - -

. A u t h o r ' s . C o r n e r . 

_Yay, time to rant! Angst is uber-fun to write. I wouldn't say this one was too angsty, though, since it certainly didn't make me cry. But whatever. Tears are hard to bring to my eyes when I'm writing something. The SasuNaru fic that I mentioned at the top of this page is coming along very, very slowly. I have lost all inspiration to write. I need more drama, more angst to inspire me. Because right now, I can only thinking of glompage. Glompage is fun. xD_

_So... Did everybody have fun reading the long and boring, angsty one-shot? :D That _was_ kind of long for a one-shot. It could probably fit about four or five chapters of the real Naruto manga if it ever were transformed into Manga. Well, anyway, I hope everybody enjoyed it. So, tell me what you think. Go on, click that purple button. I shall love you forever and ever and adore you with every single fiber of my worthless being. :D But only if you review. ;D_

- K a e - c h a n . 

A little sneak peek of my SasuNaru/GaaNaru fic (_rated R_)! Whee, aren't you the lucky one? :D 

_No!_ Naruto's mind screamed in protest, fighting for control of his arms and legs. _What am I doing? What is Sasuke doing to me? Why?_ Just then, he became aware of where Sasuke was, and he felt his insides crying with pain. _Holy crap! Is this what they call rape? Wah! I'm being raped! By Sasuke, no less!_

But no, said a little voice in the back of his head. That was not true. Rape was when these things were done without the other person's consent, which definitely was not the case in their situation. Naruto knew he wanted this. And the damn feeling and pleasure... It was nothing that he could resist, and he was just going on ahead to allow Sasuke to perform these actions. He was sick. He made himself sick and disgusted. _Stupid Sasuke..._ Stupid Naruto! 

Eventually, he just decided to surrender. He even felt himself wanting some of it, and by then, his cravings had already conquered his entire body, so he did not feel at all ashamed of himself when he thought, _Oh, the hell with it_, and grabbed Sasuke's head, crashing his lips against his own. Their tongues met, giving him the sweetest feeling as the tips of the muscles grazed each other. Sasuke was quite surprised by Naruto's sudden change in behavior, but he had to admit, this was better than having to hold him down. He hated having to restrain Naruto because it had pained the both of them. They kept going and going and going... It seemed almost like a competition for neither boy dared to break the kiss and reveal that he was the weaker one. The battle for dominance was endless, and nobody broke away to even gasp for a single gulp of air. 

But right before Sasuke could get to the _really_ good part, Naruto's ears picked up a strange noise. His eyes flew open and saw an all-too-familiar swirl of sand churning threateningly around them. His muscles tensed up as he saw this and instantly pushed Sasuke's body away with all his might. This could only tell him all too clearly who was near. Suddenly, the sand charged for Sasuke, wrapping around his ankles and feet, trapping him within the grains. 

"You," growled a deadly voice that terrorized danger, "Get the hell away from him." 

_-giggles like mad.- Sasuke is kinky. x3 That was one of the less angsty-more lemony parts. So, do you like it so far? Come on, click that purple button, go! :D_


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